It’s one for the hiss-tory books!
Three enormous ball pythons were spotted slithering through Queens’ Forest Park Thursday, including one that was nabbed — and named Kevin by rescuers — and two more that were still on the loose.
The first of the 4-foot-long constricting snakes — which could pose a threat to small pets — was seen having a bad time as it apparently startled a passer-by near Woodhaven Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue on Wednesday.
One python was captured in Queens’ Forrest Park and two are on the loose. @puppykittynycity / Instagram
The saved serpent was named Kevin. @puppykittynycity / Instagram“One of my staff members sees this guy hitting a snake in the middle of a busy street,” said Meagan Licari, a rescuer from Puppy Kitty NYC. “He was trying to shoo it back into the woods.”
The staffer and other bystanders captured the python, which is illegal to have as a pet in the Big Apple — then spotted two more serpents, which were still at large in the park as of Thursday afternoon.
Rescuers named the captured snake Kevin, after one of the men who helped bag it. They are now looking to find it a home outside the city, where ball pythons are legal.
Rescuers are looking for a home for Kevin outside New York City, where pythons are illegal. @puppykittynycity / Instagram
As rescuers searched for the two other snakes, they will likely die once the weather gets cold unless they are found. @puppykittynycity / Instagram“We’ve rescued a lot of cats and dogs — but this is a first,” Licari said.
The two remaining snakes are more likely to die when the weather gets cold than to attack a pet or a person, according to Licari, who urged neighbors to contact the group with any sightings.
Licari said the snakes were likely dumped by an exotic pet owner who “got caught,” didn’t expect them to grow so large, or be so labor-intensive.
The pythons aren’t the only lost pets that are facing danger in a city park as cold weather comes. Animal rescuers are trying to nab an escaped parakeet in Central Park that has started living with sparrows before temperatures drop in the city.
